India, Oct. 17 -- India on Friday said three Bangladeshi smugglers who crossed the border and attempted to steal cattle died during an altercation, rejecting Dhaka's assertion that the men were lynched by a mob in the northeastern state of Tripura.

The development came against the backdrop of strained relations between the two countries since the interim government led by Nobel laureate Mohammad Yunus assumed power in August 2024. The two sides have traded charges on a number of issues, including what Bangladesh describes as "border killings".

External affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal responded to media queries about the incident in Tripura involving Bangladesh nationals by saying that the death of three Bangladeshi smuggle...